My body was filled with nervousness as we were on our warm up run and doing our stretches. Now our boat is being called out. “It’s time to go, let's do this!” I exclaim to my teammates, these words going through my head as we started walking down to the launching area. We are next in line to put our boat in the water. When launching, we rushed to get everything set and ready for our big 5,000 meter race. Now it is time to start rowing toward the starting line. The long quiet row was full of excitement and anxiety.
After we got to the starting line we had to make some little maneuvers to get pointed in the right direction down the course. Once we were pointed, the ref called out “Attention GO!” Our blades sliced through the water like knives through warm butter. Our coxswain yelling “Power 10 in 2!” With each stroke we gain on the lead boat, inch by inch, fighting, pulling with all of our might. As we are flying down the course we hear our fans yelling “1, 2 GO Casitas,” this chant driving us to pull our hearts out and win the race. Meters speeding by in a blur, thoughts of winning are plastered in the back of our minds like glue on paper.
We now have only 2,000 meters to go when all of a sudden the number one seat yells CRAB!! ( A crab is when somebody's oar gets stuck in the water and all of the forward momentum of the boat pushes the oar into the person.) The boat lurches to a stop, everybody yelling to keep going. We get the boat back up to speed and keep rowing through the race. Another boat is trying to make a move on us. They call a power 10, which is ten maximum effort strokes. Then we call a power 10, and so on and so forth. Coming into the last 250 meter sprint, still battling the other boat, pulling ahead little by little, we are getting closer to the finish line. Splitting away from the other boat, we are edging ahead. As we crossed the finish line we had the feelings of relief and exhaustion. At the end of the day, I finally know what it is to be a rower.
After we got to the starting line we had to make some little maneuvers to get pointed in the right direction down the course. Once we were pointed, the ref called out “Attention GO!” Our blades sliced through the water like knives through warm butter. Our coxswain yelling “Power 10 in 2!” With each stroke we gain on the lead boat, inch by inch, fighting, pulling with all of our might. As we are flying down the course we hear our fans yelling “1, 2 GO Casitas,” this chant driving us to pull our hearts out and win the race. Meters speeding by in a blur, thoughts of winning are plastered in the back of our minds like glue on paper.
We now have only 2,000 meters to go when all of a sudden the number one seat yells CRAB!! ( A crab is when somebody's oar gets stuck in the water and all of the forward momentum of the boat pushes the oar into the person.) The boat lurches to a stop, everybody yelling to keep going. We get the boat back up to speed and keep rowing through the race. Another boat is trying to make a move on us. They call a power 10, which is ten maximum effort strokes. Then we call a power 10, and so on and so forth. Coming into the last 250 meter sprint, still battling the other boat, pulling ahead little by little, we are getting closer to the finish line. Splitting away from the other boat, we are edging ahead. As we crossed the finish line we had the feelings of relief and exhaustion. At the end of the day, I finally know what it is to be a rower.